Improvement in metallic cartridges



HENRY4 METCALFE.-

Improvement in M'eta'llic' Cartridge-s.

Patented Nov. 14,1871..

Witnesscs and d0 hcreby pocket or feat in the head of the or shell, and supporting it there point of the succeedingball.

radeau HENRY METGALF', 0F .rinvvvoak7 N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN MsfrALLlc CARTRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Fatent No. 120,990, dated November 1li, 1871'.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that LHENRY METGALFE, 0f the city, county, and State of New York, have in ventcd certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Cartridges full, lcleanand exact description thereof, refer-A ence 4being had to the accompanying drawing and tc the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of lmy invention consists in-mak ving a center-re-metallic cartridge for magazine r1fire-arms, primed fromthe inside,

'the fulminate protected from accidental ignition and having by impact from Vthe succeeding ball by placingit at* the interior apex of a concentric recessed by lapping over of the metal of which the-said `case or shell is made, the diameter of which teat or pocket shallbe less than that of the blunted In order to eable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I Will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which- Figure lis a longitudinal verti al section of my cartridge.' head of the succeeding cartridg end View of the cartridge.

A represents tlie shell o f a center-fire metallic cartridge for magazine fire-arms, the head of which shell is provided with a concentric recessed pocket or teat, a, for the purpose of protecting the fulminate from ignition by contact with the bullet ofthe succeeding cartridge. The fulminate is placed from the inside at the interior apex of saidpocket, and supported either by an anvil or by letting the metal of the cartridge-case be lapped over the same, or-by any other suitable means. B represents the bullet, the point. of which is made blunt, and the diameter of said blunt point or end made somewhat larger than the diameter of the recessed teat or packet a.

In the ordinary 4center-iire cartridge for magazine nre-arms, where, from the nature of the and Fig. 3 is an case, the ammunitionis'carried superposed, the

bearer is exposed to danger from premature exfor Magazine Fire -Arn1 s; declare the following to be a.-

cartridge-case by'an anvil or lies', and thereby prevent an explosion.

Another great advantage of, this cartridge is" Fig. 2 is a simil r-vieW.0f the ceeding cartridge n the exposed fulminate, thus compelling a resort to the only less dangerous and trustworthy and Vmore expensive rim-fire cartridge, depriving the arm, as in the Spencer rides and carbines,

pieces7 which are only made for center lire.

With my cartridge the fulminate is protected from impact by the succeeding bullet by the recess in the center of the base,which, from the shape'of the bullet, cannot be. accidentally en-.

tered.

be crushed by by an instrument' which cannot enter the recess,

the tendency will be to open or enlarge'tlie ful-v minate pocket instead lof contracting'thc pocket and ca-use ignition.

It will further be seen that the indentation in the anvil maybe made smaller in diameter than the4 recess in the .cartridge-head, so that, should the center be driven in, a bearing `will be obtained around the pocket Where the fulminate the facility with which machinery already in use, as Well as partly-finished ammunition, might be adapted to its use. so as to use it.

Havingthusfullydescribedmy invention,'what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A center-fire metallic cartridge for magazine lire-arms combining a centrally-recessed pocket, primed from the inside, With a ball so flattened or formed about its forward end that, when brought in contact WithV or jostled against the `head of a preceding cartridge, it may not reach the fulminate or crush the base of the shell, and thereby induce explosion, While, with a properly-arranged firing-pin or other like device, said fulminate may be ignited and the cartridge fired When in that part of the firearm thereunto de-l signed, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of October,

HENRY METCALFE. Witnesses:

CnAs. P. HILL. R. G. -SHURTLEFE of the advantage of interchange of ammunition with the United States It win be seen'that if the base 0f the Shen extreme pressure from Without The same for changing guns 

